Deck the Halls: Douglas decks out big and small critters in holiday finery

Douglas, or as it’s sometimes called Douglas Cuddle Toys, tackles all manner of beasts this upcoming holiday season. Borrowing a phrase from James Herriot’s beloved autobiography about being a dedicated country vet, the Douglas creative team has dreamed up cuddle toys that reflect “all creatures great and small.” These 2018 arrivals are tiny enough to cradle in the palm of one’s hands, or big enough to giddy up and ride. It’s a plethora of plush possibilities, and there’s definitely a breed and a genre to delight every arctophile and stuffed-animal enthusiast on your holiday list.

Holiday Handful corgi from Douglas

Beginning with the petite plush offerings, Douglas has absolutely adorable critters called Holiday Handfuls. Dressed to survive the plunging temperatures, the characters include a panda, polar bear, corgi, an Aussie doodle, a gray owl, and two kittens. Keeping with the famous nursery-rhyme mantra, the two kittens are decked out with mittens.

There are two Holiday Handful kittens available in mittens.

Made out of soft faux fur, the Holiday Handfuls are accented with peppermint-striped scarves or thick mittens or even reindeer antlers. These wintry companions are ideal for stocking stuffers, or as additional add-ons to gift-wrapped packages. Many folks like to use these Holiday Handfuls as gift-card bearers. Imagine the surprise when a recipient cuddles the panda bear, and finds a gift card tucked inside its paws.

A darker-colored kitten decked out in holiday mittens!

Beyond the transformation of perky puppies and cute kitties into Santa’s goodwill ambassadors, Douglas also has a grand time translating these everyday pets into otherworldly princes and princesses. The Douglas Purrmaid is one of the company’s most popular fantastical hybrids. It is just what the name suggests: half cat and half mermaid. What a silly yet serene blending! The Purrmaid is 6.5 inches long, and despite her small stature, she is every inch a regal ruler.

An Aussie doodle, part of Douglas’s Holiday Handfuls

Douglas has quite a few tiny, and in-demand, holiday creations this year. Following in the fantastical footsteps — or should I say tail-steps of the Purrmaid — is Douglas’s absolutely gorgeous mini unicorn. Suki is 7 inches long, and sports a brushable mane and tail. Her coloration is a spectacular blush pink, which has won her raves with young girls everywhere. The defining touch is Suki’s hooves. They glisten with a metallic golden hue.

Suki the Mini Unicorn

Yes, the Douglas lineup of animals is perfect for holiday-gift giving. They are great for children, tweens and teens, and even for adult co-workers. It’s fun to get a cuddly plush pet in a grab bag or as part of a Secret Santa. And the Douglas creations are so affordably priced that the tiny plush pals can be paired with movie certificates, fast-food gift cards, or other cute, small impulse purchases. (Good-smelling lotions, soaps, or hand sanitizers cradled in a plush pal’s arms — that’s a sweet way to take part in a workplace or school holiday swap.) The Holiday Handfuls can quickly become holiday helpers!

A 3-foot-tall Jumbo Sloth from Douglas Cuddle Toys

For those of us, though, who don’t believe that good things come in small packages, there are the JUMBO Douglas offerings. Not just big, not just large, not just gigantic — these cuddly creatures are jumbo! Like the other holiday favorites, they straddle both the real world and the surreal world, too.

The Geico sloth has become a very funny pitchman for the insurance giant.

Gordy the Jumbo Sloth is three feet tall, when seated. The enormous critter is designed for children to crawl upon and then feel embraced and hugged. Swaddled within the jumbo sloth’s arms, children have the chance to bong big-time with a beloved plush friend. Sloths have been a big seller for Douglas for years now, and the sloth has become a comical pitchman for Geico Insurance Company. It has captured the public’s imagination with its lack of speed and slow-moving ways. Geico has found a funny way to exploit the sloth’s lethargy by having it partnered with a human in a neighborhood game night! Plus, Kristen Bell — beloved star of children’s films, adult comedies, and appliance ads with her husband, Dax Shepard — kicked off the sloth mania when she had a public meltdown about how cute sloths are. It became a YouTube sensation.

Jules the Jumbo Unicorn

If you’re not in Ms. Bell’s camp, and a sloth leaves you feeling “eh,” there’s another JUMBO Douglas creation. Boasting an alliterative name, Jules the Jumbo Unicorn is 34 inches long and can be climbed upon for imaginary flights of fancy. Able to sustain weights up to 150 pounds, the length of the unicorn really makes it ideal for 3- to 6-year-olds. The brand-new jumbo unicorn has thick, luxurious hair that can be brushed, and its feet are decorated with shimmering silver metallic hooves. Steeped in rainbow pastel colors, Jules the Jumbo Unicorn is a bright, big, bold, and beautiful way to ring in the holiday shopping season.